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Mocktail Schmocktail

The penultimate weekend as a Dryathlete™. DONE. Woop. In fact, double woop.

The big test came last night when I went out to a cocktail bar in Shoreditch for a friend’s birthday. Despite the absence of anything non alcoholic on the menu, the lovely barman made me some delish mojito mocktails. That said, lovely though they were, they would definitely have benefitted from a shot or two of Bacardi. Wishful thinking, eh?!

I decided to head home at 22:30 as everyone else was drinking, getting the shots in and generally getting merrier. It was OK though as I picked up a Malteaster bunny and a copy of Closer from Sainsbury’s as a treat for my journey home where I then settled down to watch this week’s Silent Witness two-parter with a bottle of Evian and no hangover on Sunday morning.

I have three big social tests coming up in the week ahead where I would generally be leading on the fizz consumption:

1. ‘Fizz and Quiz’ at Searcy’s champagne bar with the girls. We booked this before I committed to Dryathlon™. I mean what’s the point in going to a champagne bar when you can’t even drink champagne?! I hope to God they don’t have a ‘Schloer’ equivalent. I feel as though I may as well be miserable sat at home drinking Robinsons Fruit and Barley orange squash (no added sugar) than be miserable because I’m the only one in a champagne bar who can’t drink champagne. That’s like torture for me! I’m hoping the fizz abstinence means I actually take the quiz seriously. Here’s hoping there’s a showbiz and cocktail round.

2. Connecting HR Networking event. This is a lovely group of people who I met via Twitter. The group gets together every few months to chat HR, organisational development and learning and development over a beer or two. I love these events because I can talk about the subject I love and learn more about it from others but in a relaxed environment with no formal structure. It’s almost impossible to get to talk to everyone who comes along so I’m nearly always still there at last orders with a glass of wine that’s become warm as I’ve continued to chat. I wonder how long I’ll manage to stay out this time?

3. Catching up with an old pal from my Tesco days. The last time we caught up we got through a fair few champagne cocktails at Vertigo 42. I’m so excited to see her and I’m hoping the fact we have so much to catch up on (including her recent wedding!) will be enough to make me forget that I’m not actually drinking.

I can do this.

Actually I do have one more social event planned this week and that’s with the people I work out with. Most of us are either doing Dryathlon™ or don’t actually drink anyway (yes, really) so I’m hoping the non alcoholic solidarity will carry me through. We’re going to one of my favourite locals where they have a fantastic mixologist who has just launched a new detox cocktail menu. Who knows, maybe I’ll love it so much he’ll never pour me a prosecco with strawberry in it ever again.